l risch



3 Sheets-Sheet 1. C. F. RISCH.

Heliometer.

Patented April 28, 186:8

N. PEYERS. Pnowumggmpber. wnhingum D.c.

3 vShfeletsShxeet C. F. L. RISCH.

Hel-iometer.

Patented April 28, v1868v @uiten 'tstes itllatttf @ffil Y Letters .Patent No. 77,324, dated April 28, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT vIN HELIOMBTBRS.

@its Srlgehulenfrrnt In in tips rtters iitm :Initiating part si; tigt time.

TO 'ALL WHOM I'l MAY CONCERN:

Beit hnovi'n that I, CONRAD FRIEDRICH L. Risen, of Huntingburg, 1n'the county of Dubo'is, and State of Indialnn, have invented a new and improved lleliornoter; and l do he'reby'dcclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact -description thereof, which will enable others skilled in thc art t0 make and use the saine, reference being had to the' accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification.

Figure 1, Sheet I, 'represents a plan or top view of my invention.

Figure 2, Sheet I, is afront eleYation of thorsa'rne.

Figure 3, Sheet Il, is air end view of the same.

Figure 4, Sheet II, is a view ofthe opposite end.

Figure, Sheet IIL'is a vertical central section of the same, the plane of-section being indicated by the line zum, iig. 1. l

Figure 6, Sheet IH, is a horizontal sectional view of the same, the plane of section being indicatcdv'by the lipc y y, lig. 2. I

Similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts.

This invention 'relates to a new apparatus, whichv is a perfect Vsun-dial for all latitudes, and by which the time ,of the day .can beaseertained with lemictness, lry minutes and seconds; also, the degree of latitude above which the sun stands perpendicularduring' any one day; also, tho-date and length of day, asA well as the time of sunrise and sunset.

By its use, the reason for the variations in the length of days is made perfectly clear.

The difference in thetime of day between any two places on the globe can also be accuratfely ascertained, as well as the position of the earth-axis in relation to the surface ofthc water, and the size of the angle formed bythe axis on'the water-line; also the angle formed bythe rays of the sun, at noon of each day, upon the watereliue or level.`

If' the apparatus is set at noon'v according to the date, the exact degree of latitude of-the place where theapparatus stands canbe'ascertained by it.

The principl'of finding the position of the gnomon of the sun-dial at any1 certai'p'd'egree-of latitude 'will be established bythe use of this heliometcr and the angle formed by it and the level dial.

The object of the invention is to bring within reach of persons of but ordinary intelligence and education the knowledge of the principles and the understanding o f the observations. above referred to.

The invention will be of special valuein schools, as, by the use of this apparatus, scholars will, with properguidance, easily and quickly understan-d some of themore important branches of geography,

For nautical schools, surveying parties,.a.nd for`- travellers, it will' be of 'great importance, and especially for travellers in large plains or deserts, as they can, at noon of every day, ascertain thelatitude.

A represents a frame, consisting o'f two upright'end-pieces, fitted to a. suitable bed-plate.

The frame can be made of wood or other suitable material, and of any 'suitable dimensione Upon the bed-plate are fitted a comp-ass, a, and le'vel, b, as shoqwn.

To the face. of each of the supports is secured a semi-annular plate, c, which is divided into one hundred and eighty degrees, as shown in figs. 3 and 4. i

A metalbar, B, which has its bearings in the endpieces of the frame, is the centre, lfrom which the arcs c c are struck. Upon the bar B is mounted,between` the uprights ofthe frame, and so as to revolve with, the axis, a. cube, C. p y

This cube represents the earth, flattened to the shape shown.l y

Those two surfaces, d and e, which are created' by attening the poles, are called the polar surfaces. y

The pinsj' and g, which project respectively from the centres of the polar surfaces, represent the earth-axis.

The shadow of thesegnomons, f and g, thrown upon the polar surfaces, describes thereon the hour-circle of the astronomical day; therefore the said surfaces are provided with dials, as shown in hg. v2.

Within each stationary dial, lon each polai` surface, is a revolving dial, 7i, turning around the' earth-axis. The inner edge of the Stationary dial is, iis shown in'lig. 2, divided into three hundred and sixt-y degrees. Thus, by means of the central revolving dial and this inner edge of the stationary dial, the difference between the time of day of any two places on the globe may be indicated and ascertained.

The mainliues on thestationary `dials are -ca'rried over and around theledges of the cube, for the purpose of letting the instrument-bc used as a modelfor making a-correct stationary sun-dial The figures on the dialsupzonthc polar surfaces areoca-r-ried in opposite directions, these on the north pole going-from left to right, while on the south pole, e. g., they go from right to lei`t, as shown in iig. 2, which is the plan of the south polar surface. V p

The'reason for this arrangement is the opposite course of the shadow of the gnomon on the southern and northern hemispheres. i

Therefore, also, and because the sun. does not shine upon the north pole during six months, and upon the solith pole during the other six months, each polar surface of'the cube C will answer as a sun-dial only for six months; z'. c., the north polar surface d from the twentiethday of March to the twenty-second day of September of each year for the northern hemisphere, and from September to March for the southern'hemisphere,lwhile the south `polar surface e will becorrect from March `to September for the southern, and from September to March for the northern hemisphere. I

But, as it is inconvenient to inspect the winter side while the heliometer is set for any position ofthe globe between the forty-lifth degree of latitude and the pole, and to thus lind the correct time, a semi-cylindrical depression, D, is arranged on the 'south side`of the cube, which is always pointed towards the sun; and within the same is arranged a dial, as' shown in figs. 1 and 5, and the shadow of a gnomon, t', indica tes the time of day.

This semi-cylindrical dial is also most convenient during the cqnuoxes. On the east side or the cube is arranged a triangular board or plate, E, which is also' secured to the axis B, so as to turn' with the cube.

The shorter lower side of this triangle i'smade in form of an are, which is struck from the opposite vertex, the radius being doublerthe lengthvot the radius of the semi-annular index c.

The angle between the straight sides measures forty-seven degrees, and the lower arc is, consequently, considerably flatter than the are e, as is clearly shown in tiff. 3. i

` From the point j, the whole triangle D is divided into two equal parts by aline, which is marl-:ed the equator in iig. 3. 4

The arc at the bottom cud of the triangle is divided, from each side of the equator, into twenty-three and a half degrees, as shown; and thu's the whole are represents a portion of a meridian, drawn through the equator, and extending from thevnorthern tothe southern tropic.

The lines atthe sides of the-triangle, therefore, form thetropics, as indicated. The equator is prolonged beyond the are by means of a pointer,l K, as shown, which reaches upon the arc c, and by which the instrument can be set to any degree of 'the northern Vor'southern latitude, as will be understood from' lig. 3. i 4 i Between the arc of the plate E and the are c is interposed a small block, Z, which is attached to the triangle E, and has'an outer edge corresponding to the shapeof the arc c. o

The length of the are on Z, on each side ofthe equator, is equal to thirtyone degrees on c, which have been divided into thirty parts, so that eachdegree on lis equal to one and one-thirtieth degree on c.

The object of this division of the arc Zis to allow'the instrument tobe set with greater exactness, according to degrees and`minutes. l

The `triangular plate E issurrouuded by sheetsmetal ilanges, projecting towards the front, as shown. At

the junction of these flanges, in the vertex of the triangle, a small hole or slot is c-ut through this lange, as

indicated at m in fig. 3. 1

When the instrument has been set, according to" compass and level, for the required degree of latitude, (39 north latitude, g. 3,) a'ray of the sun, falling, through the .slot or hole in, upon the arc at the bottom of 4the triangle, falls upon and indicates that degree of latitude (between the tropics) above which thesun stands perpendicular. o

The same ray'also shows the date of the month, as uear as it can be shown in an instrlme'nt of ordinary size, a division indicating the dates, being arranged, for `that'purpose, upon the arc of theA triangle, as shown in iig. 3. The very exact.l date can be ascertained, with a small instrument, by a small table, in which the date is noted at which the sun stands perpendicular above any one particular degree between the tropics. i If the'latitude is not known, and to be ascertained, the cube is turned at twelve oclock at noon, so that the ray, through m, falls upon the date, when the'latitude above which the sun is perpendicular is, at the same time, also indicated bythe same ray, and the pointer K indicates, up'on"thrc c, the degree of latitude at which the observation is being made. The instrument .is then also setcorrect for the sun-di'al.

F is a wooden or other plate, having 4two edges or sides straight, and parallelto each other, while the other two are curves, arcs `of a circle, struck from the centre of the plate, ,as shown in fig. 4. This plate Fis secured to the west side ofthe cube C, so as to turn with the same, theaxle B'being-its centre, the radius ofthe curves at its two ends being equal-to the radius ofthe arc c at the same end, so-that the curves on c and F correspond with each other, as is clearly shown in fig.'4i l AThe arcs on plate F are divided into forty-seven degrees, twenty-three and a half on each side of .the 'equator of o, the equator a o` being parallel with the straight sides of the plate F, and passing through the centre of the o plate, as shown.

'Iheouter lincs'ot' the twenty-three and a half degrees represent thet-ropies, andthe whole space between represents the toi-rid zone of-the globe, or, rather, actually, but hall a zone. The other half must be thought `to he on the opposite side of the plato.

'lhe liuesbetween the tropics represent the degrees of latitude, which are, one after the oth-er, crossed by the vertical rays of' the snn.

The space between the centre of the plate and its curved ends is divided into six main divisions, indicatingA the six hours of the *solar day, or, rather, ,the hour-lines, which divide the .whole globe into-twenty-four parte. Twelve such parts are shown on the plate F. The other twelve mustbe imagined on the back of the plate.

These twelve lines are formell as arcs of circles, struck from the centre, B, as shown.

'lhey muy be subdivided into halfbours, quartclrs,`in inutes, seconds, die.

These lines also indicate the meridians crossed by the sun after each hour of the day.

n is a fine wire or string, drawn from o to o on the arc c, across the plate F. This wire shows, on thezone, this true division-line between nig-ht and day.

' Above, it is day, (including the back of the plate, z'. e., the whole-hemisphere above the wire;) below, it

is night.

The lblue lines, shown in tig. 4, and drawn from the divisions at the arcs of the pla'te'b` towards the centre.

of thesame, indicate the size of the` angle which, at twelve, noon, the rays ot the sun form with each levelor water-line at each degreeoi` latitude.

For example, in the drawing, the instrument is set with the plate E `for the thirty-ninth degree'northern latitude. v A

The equator en the zon'e bn F falls upon degree fifty-one and a halt` on the are c,-(fi'g.'1 1.) The line (blue) which is drawn from the end, P, of the northern tropic diagonally through the centre, B, tothe end of the southern tropic, shows,lupon the arc c, 75, whilejhe (blue) line drawn'from the end, g, of the southern tropic diagonally through the centre, B, to the end'ot'. the northern tropic, shows 28 upon the are c.

Thus, *on the thirty-ninth degree of northern latitude, 'the angle of the sun at noon upon the water-line is as follows: On the twentieth day of March, and twenty-third day of September, 51?; on the twenty-second day of December, 28; on the twentydirst day of June, 75, dto.

The other blue lines show the size of the angles .during the other days ofthe year from that degree of latitude for which the instrument is set. l i

That end, r, ofthe plate F in which the'end'ofy the central equator o 'a is always above the wire, n, (unless the instrument is set for one of the,poles) is called tho-noon-arc, because it is actually apart of that meridian over whibh the sun stands while it is noon at theplace where the observation is taken.

The -ebject ofthe hour-lines (one to twelve) is'to show at what time, for each place on the different degreesof latitude, thesun rises and sets.

Each line, designating a degree of latitude, on the plate F, is, by the hour-lines, divided into twelve equal hours, as aforesaid.

The lines on the'opposite side of the plate would fall directly upon those .on the front, and, therefore, those of the front have been marked with double rows ot'lgures, in opposite directions.

Those tigures marked from one to twelve, from the noon-arc r to the night-arc,` are the figures for the4 face, while those from twelve to one are for the back of the plate F. v

If the apparatus is set for the equator, the line 1t will cover the hour-line 6-6, and will thereby show that, at the equator, the sun rises and sets, on each day during the 4whole year, at six oeloclr.

`:But this will at once be charged, as soon as the apparatus is shifted even for hutone degree.

This invention will be of great value in schools, as all the important principles arising from the relative. position and movements of the sun and earth can be easily explained and proved by its use.

The plate E willdo the same servicel on land as an octant on sea, and'even nautical students will profit much by studying this instrument. l I

The plates E and F are secured to vthe cube C by means of brackets s s, as shown, or'otherwise, so as'to. turn, with the cube, around the axle B.

t t is a series of thumb-screws, arranged in the frame A, through the are c, on the west side'of the apparatus, to cla-mp the plate F, and, with it, the cube G and plate E, and their respective appendages, in any one desired position, after the apparatushas once been adjhsted for a certain latitude.

G is a drawer-or shelf, arranged within the cube C, for holding direction-book, instruments, Ste.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. kA heliometer, constructed and arranged to operate in the manner herein shown and described.

2. The arrangement of the northern and southern polar surfaces on opposite sides of the revolving' cube C,u ubstontially as herein shown and described. l

3. The revolving dial-plates z, when arranged within .the stationary dial-plates d and e, and when arranged within the circle on which the degrees of longitude are marked, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described. I l

4. The semi-cylindrical sun-dial D, when arranged as set forth, and when provided with a gnomon, z', substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

5. The semi-cylindrical sun-dial D, when arranged as set forth, in combination with .the double polar sur faces of the revolving cube C, upouwhich thelidials for the northern and southern hemispheres are respectively arranged,substanti al1y as and for the'purpose herein shown and described.

6. The triangular plate E, provided with a. hand o r pointer, K, when connected with the revolving lcube, and when combined with the semiannular are o, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

arts which indicate, with the iman'ined twelve e ual arts on the o osite side of the late F the twcnt -four v P i s (l P PP. P i 5 7. The flange around the plate E, when provided with a. hole at an, for a ray of light 'to fall uponl the opposite ares, substantially'as and for the purpose hereinshown and described4v 8. The curved block Z, when attached to the revolving plate E, andwhen combined with the are c, and when graduated, sbatant ially` as and for the purpose herein shown and described.Y l

9. The plate "F, when arranged in 'combinationwvith the obe (l andare-c, .all made and operating substanv tially as herein shown and-desm'ibed. v

10. The arrangement of the hour-lines,llatitudeflines, and diagonal lines, on 'the plate F, as set Iorth.

11. The plate F, when arranged as set forth, and in combination with the stationary day-and-,niglrt divider n on the area-made as described. 4 y i 12. T he plate F, when arranged as described, in combination with the vplate E and arcs c c, and with tlc 'cube 0,'nll made and operating substantially a'sherein shown und described.

13. lThe plates E and F, in conlbinatiqn with the sundal pn the revolving cube C, made-as described.

CONRAD FR. LUDV. RISCH.

Witnesses:

CASPER H. ToDnANK, F. A. GR'AETz. 

